Joseph P. Bradley

“ It is evident that the court would have come to the same conclusion had it been shown in any other way that less than a majority of the legal voters voted for the authority. The mode of ascertaining the whole number of legal voters was not prescribed by the law. In that case, it sufficiently appeared from the election returns themselves. There is no valid reason why the same conclusion should not be deduced from a registry of the legal voters. The objection that some persons not entitled to vote may be registered has no force to my mind. ”

“ The language is just as strong as that of the twenty-fourth section of art. 4, which declares that 'no bill shall be passed unless by the assent of a majority of all the members elected to each branch of the General Assembly.' This clause has always been construed to mean that no law can be passed unless a majority of the members vote for it, whether all are present or not. ”

“ The people who are to pay the taxes for raising a subscription to a railroad ought not to be subjected to that burden, unless the requisite majority of the class named, that is, the qualified voters, can be induced to give their assent to it. ”